Bagless vs Bagged Vacuum

It is perhaps the most frequently asked question when buying a new vacuum cleaner: do you go for a vacuum cleaner with or without a bag? With a vacuum cleaner without a bag, you never have to buy vacuum cleaner bags again. But with a bagged vacuum you have to clean your filters much less often.

Both vacuum cleaners have their pros and cons. In this article we explain the biggest differences between a bagless and a bagged vacuum. Because, there is no real winner: it just depends on what your needs are!

Bagless vacuum cleaner: cheaper and constant suction power

A bagless vacuum cleaner is very popular today. You never have to buy a vacuum cleaner bag again with this model: you click the dust container out and empty it above the trash can. You can then get back to work right away. The dust container is often transparent, so you can quickly see when it is full.

A big plus is that a bagless vacuum cleaner does not lose suction power as the dust container fills up. This is the case with a vacuum cleaner with a bag. Let's list all the advantages.

Advantages of a bagless vacuum cleaner

• You never have to buy vacuum cleaner bags again
• Often a lot cheaper than a vacuum cleaner with a bag
• Doesn't lose suction as the dust container fills up
• You'll quickly see when the dust container is getting full

Unfortunately, a bagless vacuum cleaner also has a few drawbacks. For example, there is no question of a dust bag that provides extra filtering. You will have to clean filters more often. In addition, a dust bag normally also provides extra attenuation of sound.

Disadvantages of a bagless vacuum cleaner

• Emptying is a lot less hygienic than with a dust bag
• Filters need to be cleaned more often
• Smaller dust capacity than a bagged vacuum cleaner
• Often makes more noise than a vacuum cleaner with a bag

Bagged vacuum: cleaner and quieter

Many people still opt for a vacuum cleaner with a bag. And that's not surprising: there are many major advantages of this traditional vacuum cleaner. This makes emptying very easy and you will come into contact with dust less quickly. You simply throw away the complete bag. A dust bag also dampens the sound and acts as an extra filter before the air leaves your vacuum cleaner.

Advantages of a vacuum cleaner with a bag

• You come into contact with dust and dirt less quickly
• Is often a lot quieter
• Clean and replace filters less often
• A dust store often has a larger dust capacity

Disadvantages of a bagged vacuum

• You should always buy new vacuum cleaner bags
• Often a lot more expensive than other vacuum cleaners
• Loses suction power as the dust bag fills up

While most bagged vacuum cleaners typically operate at a lower noise level, they can still be noisy. Nowadays, there are also bagless vacuum cleaners available that have significantly lower noise levels. In our exploration of the best quiet vacuum cleaners, see which bagless models also feature low noise levels.

Which is best: bagless or bagged vacuum?

As you can see above, both vacuum cleaner models have advantages and disadvantages. We cannot answer the question of which one is the best. It completely depends on your needs. To help you on your way, we have listed a number of usage situations below, followed by which type suits you best.

Curious to know whether a bagged or bagless vacuum cleaner comes out on top in our test? Check out our best vacuum cleaner page here and find out what we consider to be the best choice.

Need	Bagged vacuum	Bagless vacuum
No more buying vacuum cleaner bags	X	✓
A vacuum cleaner that is as quiet as possible	✓	X
Hygienic emptying of the vacuum cleaner	✓	X
A constant suction power	X	✓
Cheap vacuum cleaner	X	✓
Low maintenance on a vacuum cleaner	✓	X

Are you going for a bagless vacuum cleaner? Then you can also opt for a stick vacuum. This cordless vacuum cleaner is also bagless and often has an integrated handheld vacuum.